Picasso and Opium, Art Under The Influence - Art History Storytime 

Heroin allowed me to push past my mental and physical pain due to my sensitivity to pain from struggling with it for so long. I could focus and do my IT work for hours at a time and even helped me obtain some of my IT Certifications. However, once I fell into my first deep, deep depression heroin became a crutch and I came to find myself relying on it more and more. Eventually, I gave up on my career after facing a reality wall that I couldn't overcome(Was too poor to go any further) and it became the only source of happiness left in my life and my sole focus of my efforts for the next decade. After a fight for my life, I am lucky enough to say that I am stable again on Methadone and have been away from Fentanyl for 7 months, Heroin for almost 3.5 years. I am low, but I'm not underground so I can still see the sun... and it is beautiful with a cup of coffee.

I was addicted to heroin and opium myself for 19 years. I am a musician. I don’t think that opium had any affect in what he did. I can speak for myself opium and heroin always stopped me being creative. I am lucky that I’m not already 6 feet under. Maybe because I just smoked it. I Quit on 2004. have 3 beautiful girls and can make better music than during my whole drug career. New subscriber. Great jvideo. I like it.

It has become fashionable to describe Picasso as "cruel, toxic and awfull" , which is extremely shortsighted as he might have contained some of those personality traits he was also charming, generous and loving. He was willing to embrace both his dark side as well as his light thus making him a complete human being.

I had a major mind altering trip like 30 years ago now. Ever since, I've no further desire to do any sort of substance abuse. I've lived a fairly ordinary life since. It's so strange. My mind was permanently altered. A trip lasting a lifetime. Loving ❤️ everyone. God bless you all.

Had no idea Picasso got into opium, but no the transition from blue to rose makes so much sense. You can really see it in the quality of light in the rose works. The figures glow in relief in a warm, druggy atmosphere. I’d never really seen it until now!

If life’s been kickin you in the balls and you don’t take drugs to cope , my hats off to you with great respect . I honestly don’t know how TF you do it

Thank you for this…Im also in recovery from Heroin, and you may not believe this but I had my first taste on New Years Eve in 1981 aged 11! I didn’t immediately become addicted, but it did become a problem in my 20’s. I found myself in a Detox unit 300 miles from my hometown on New Years Eve 2001! I haven’t touched the drug since. I studied Eng Lit and once went to a Picasso Gallery. I lost about 4/5 hours I was so captivated. Later during my study’s we looked at Lord Byron, Mary Shelley and Percy Shelley. Plus a few more. Upon reading their personal biographies, they’d all had Opium history in the form of Laudanum, Gin mixed with Opium. In my class, I was not the best academic, but creativity…that was the opposite. I’m a fan of Boxing and the Heavyweight fight of the Century is 24 hours away, yet your Podcast gave me a jolt… Once again, thanks ✌🏼out x

I love the way you explain Picasso's life paintings the people and drugs in his life. Thank You.

Drugs, among other effects, can be gateways to perception. Of course the opium affected Picasso's art. Just like LSD influenced the Beatles, or absinthe did Van Gogh. That there were innumerable other influences at the same time (from the weather to one's diet, for example) is inarguable, but I believe that those substances, especially the 'natural' ones like opium, cactus, mushrooms, etc, were put here for the explicit purpose of changing/elevating consciousness, providing potential cures for mental disorders such as stress or trauma. And most of these artists knew what they were doing, these substances were no secret. Love your work, newly subbed!

Very enlightening indeed; thank you.

...i love people like this...that are passaionate & just make nice art videos...keep going Stephanie!!!x

Such a rich video with clear explanations, please don’t stop making these!!

Gratitude for sharing. I saw a documentary based on the life of a stellar author named Donald Goines After forging his birth certificate he joined the air force at age 15 . While in the military he got addicted to Heroin. He wrote most of his 16 novels while under the influence of Heroin. His sister Joan said "He didn't control the habit, the habit controlled him”. Ps I understand the power of addiction. Im so grateful I started abstaining from alcohol 10 1/2 years ago.

Beautiful narration..thankyou

This video made my night better great work

Dear Madame Stephanie, It is a great relief for me that finally (as far as I know ) somebody has come to her senses about the artistic pretensions and qualities of Pablo Picasso. Yes, he was selling himself very well , and therefore established an image that is hard to get rid of. Only the look in his eyes tells us that there is something not so sane, yes intelligent but psychopathic. The intensity of that staring gaze is exceptionally tense. Yes it is also true that a society that is in the process of decadence and degeneration, seeks the symbols and images that will confirm the validity of this decadence , and in this sense Picasso fulfilled a role. That you bring up the use of drugs by Picasso is very significant and has the potential to devalue the core of modern contemporary art. The most decisive however to devalue Pablo Picasso is his personal behaviour in his contact with women . He had few lovers at the same time and presented to two of them the absolute same new dress. I am sure that any woman with a sanity of heart and mind would find such acts disgusting.

very good - i also appreciate the personal stories from your subscribers sharing a connection to your video . . . turned out to be more than an art history lesson. Thank you so much!!!

Love the way she casually, nonchalantly says " He frequently patronized brothels...❤😅 Pablo P. got his big break through a wealthy masculine- looking American heiress, who fell for this young pretty boy.. Almost every well known artist is well known because they emerged from wealthy family backgrounds or sold their...ahem... Assets ...to an already established artist or influential individual with the right contacts. Talent, in itself, is not a criterion for recognition and success in the arts.

That was an interesting storyline. Thank you for this video 😊

This is the reason I stopped drinking, and completely stopped smoking pot. I gave my brain a break to see it come to play. The last time I drank was in 1996. The last time I took a drag of a joint was in 1990. Since I stopped all of that I graduated from High School. Graduated from college. Became an artist, music producer, author, photographer. I did this all without the influence of any drug, or alcohol. Since then my brain has been clear. The brain should be used wisely. I gave it a chance, and it did beautifully.

Thank you for something new. I haven't found not repeating about it for a long time.

Errol Flynn in his book MY WICKED WICKED WAYS gives good narrative of his opium experience. Interesting stuff and sure it would give different orientation for the arts like lsd and hashish an mushrooms.

Thank you for your adept story-telling,charm,knowledge and skills.Impressive. I would be happy were you to another soon.

This is probably your most concise and introspective talk yet. I like how you lightly touch on a few periods of his work before diving into a difficult yet necessary introspection of the mind of the artist. In regard to the last few questions you pose, I have some insights that might shed some light on the matter. I believe an artist will ultimately arrive at more or less the same pieces regardless of what mind state they may enter. Like you touched on, an artist must create and it is inside of them no matter what, yet certain substances can elicit higher states of consciousness that allow easier access to what the artist is intending to convey. I think it's important to note that substances typically have less of an effect on a capable artist than an average person, because the high experienced from creation will always be more powerful than the effect of a substance. On top of that, the substance is used in a very different manner, i.e. a productive one. An artist can be productive even if they are not creating in the current moment, as all sensory and intellectual experiences can be drawn from whenever an artist pleases, meaning that a high experienced the evening before can very well be considered work when it serves as divine inspiration the following day or whenever the artist is creating in the literal sense next. For example, the insights I gained from your introspection towards the end of this talk will serve as fodder for a piece tomorrow, akin to a comparable experience on champagne, weed, or codeine that would occur in a similarly 'unproductive' time experienced on another evening. These experiences are actually quite productive contrary to popular opinion and should be considered valid work, as they may very well create an idea in the subconscious that will reveal itself in the conscience when the time is right. In any case, I believe any particular substance that gets the artist to where they truly desire being in the mind should be considered quite differently than another person taking that same drug. It is best compared to anything else that elicits that same perspective, whether it be sex, a walk in nature, watching a movie, hearing a new perspective in a youtube video, listening to an evocative piece of music; it is merely the lifeblood of the artist, a means to an end, an inspiration. Sometimes that inspiration can be divine, allowing an artist to slip inside music for example, where you hear notes very differently and on a different perception of time that can last long after the substance was taken, even permanently in a desirable way. I believe this is what happened to Picasso long after he had stopped consuming opium; he retained the divine access because it was always inside of him. He just needed the key to access it, which remained very real and tangible after the substance was long out of his system. This is the best way I can show how the use of the exact same substance is an entirely different reality for a casual user (the typically depicted lethargic drug addict) and a true artist (a person that is working at all times, and is anything but lethargic even under the influence when the mind is hard at work). One person can articulate the experience whether in words or in a painting or a piece of music succinctly and concisely and as many times over as one wishes, while the other is simply getting high. It is important to note that the amount used is also no indicator of this distinction; it has nothing to do with the level of intoxication but everything to do with the question, has the artist reached the place he desired metaphorically in the mind? All this to say, divine inspiration in the same vein as Picasso is much easier to access than our society would like us to believe, but it is not merely dependent on the intoxication element. It also has to do with destiny, which is much harder to predict or control for that matter. It has to do with intellect, with capability, with the will to change one's circumstances as well as the will to alter the very fabric of reality as we know it. It's not as easy as it looks but it's also not as impossible as it seems; indeed as everything in life, it is a paradox that once understood and absorbed in it's very essence, becomes second nature. Impossible to turn off, no matter how much it might torment the artist, who may very well be fully aware that that which torments him or her is that which every other artist in the world desires more than anything and would give anything for. Life is a tragic comedy, hopelessly unfair, but it always has been and I suppose there is some comfort in that. And if there isn't, what better fuel to light the fire of creation? Accessing those harsh realities and the emotions that entail, the anger, the disgust, the disappointment, the hopelessness of it all, that's what makes a true artist create and another slump in defeat. The true testament of an artist, if you will.

I absolutely love the artistic presentation you’ve made here. Thank you for a very positive experience.

I love your narration. So well done. Thank you!

Very enjoy thankyou.lovely to listen.

a well done and even-handed report - thankyou :)

When it comes to influences, just me, but I like to live in the mystery. Each of are able to listen to disturbance just as well as we are able to listen to harmony. If the mule is the muse then the mule is the muse. We can only ever watch the giants roam the earth never knowing what they are doing and less what they are thinking. We live in a cerebral world I know and you are trapped in your story telling by facts, you have such a rich voice I would love to hear you pull the threads of your own tapestry and put your emotions in the telling, but that's just me. All in all good work by you. Well done.

Interesting story about his altered state of mind! Also, the composition of your presentation is pleasant, soothing, and enigmatic ; mostly because of its focal point; that mysterious brown drop on your neckless which waves soothingly as you speak. Thank you.

Played music all my life. Once had a singer ask do we want him to open his vocals up? He took out 3 pills of oxy opiates, took them 30 mins later sounded like a different person singing. Addiction was everywhere and glad all thats behind us.

I LOVE THESE VIDEOS!

Great stuff here Glenda! thank you

Highely interesting information and reflections within only a few minutes!

Great job! thank you for your content! Cheers from México!!! 🎩👌

wow, very well maked video!

awesome ! you as well as your presentation!!

Great channel I never knew about until today!

Your style and cadence is exquisite young lady and your voice is smooth as French butter, Great content! New sub!

Thanks so much for inviting me to explore Pablo Picasso's productivity and process with you, but in a way that is truly engaging and that makes Picasso accessible. I never knew until you mentioned it that Picasso's initial use of opium played a part in his producing rather mature and intricate works. And coincidentally, rather exciting and dark, considering the effect that opium had on him. They remind me a little bit of Paul Gauguin because his Tahitian paintings possess a dreamlike and colorful quality. Who knows what would have become of Picasso's art if he hadn't used opium at all? Nevertheless, I enjoyed and appreciate your insights very much. #muchappreciated

......Excellent, very creative video production about Picaso & some of his life experiences, thank you...I replicated his painting " The Old Guitarist " pretty close to the original, decades ago. he used the elderly frail model in other paintings as well...I may be your newest sub... ...Artist, Old Naples Florida🌴🎨

Excellent French and a very informative video - wonderful. Thanks for your great research! "Guernica" is arguably the greatest painting of the 20th century.

so great i ❤ art history storytime!

I survived a10 plus year addiction to pain pills then heroin then fentanyl. I'm also an international artist/ painter having been on dozens of magazine and book covers as well as represented at galleries on 3 continents. I can relate somewhat with being an artist on opiates. During my time on opiates I wasn't very productive. Nothing like I was prior to being on them. I still haven't caught up to my previous self as far as volume. However, I'm a much more complete artist and human having gone through all that I did. I was even homeless under a bridge after I lost everything. I would think Picasso would say something similar to my experience. VERY INTERESTING note. After one detoxify from opiates there is a flood of emotions that come back as opiates really deaden who we are inside. Makes us numb. Anyway, I've heard some people refer to that period after you detoxify as the "pink haze ". How interesting is that?

This is a very good video that covers a lot of ground well, but needs to be an introduction to a series of deeper inquiry. I am an artist with an extensive resume of drug use when I was younger. My first thought is to point out that the impact of intoxication on creative output is frequently described in terms that reflect our own thoughts and not those of the artist. We read into it what we want and this can be laughable when someone tries to read deep psychological interpretations where the artist may have just been having light-hearted fun - nothing more and nothing less. Pablo Picasso was equipped with great talent and a great foundational approach to being an artist and was going to do great work, period. My speculation is being stoned helped him focus or be more comfortable with what he was doing and helped him spend more time considering alternative perspectives at times. Early in an addiction to opiates one can feel energized, more motivated as well as more confident. Opiates have a way of inflating one's ego and they dramatically magnify selfishness, cruelty, dishonesty and a view of other people as things to be used, tricked or toyed with. Going sober does not necessarily cause the magnification of these traits to ebb until the person is back to where they were before. I think Picasso used opium to serve him as he strived to accomplish greater goals and left it in his wake as he made his way in life. It's been many years since I really studied him, but I think what he'd say is opium did not take him anywhere he was not already going. I believe he still would have found cubism and become one of the greatest artists of all time had he remained sober his entire life. I do not think making it illegal would have mattered. That stuff was everywhere and the hangers-on Picasso attracted would have been pleased to score him some opium on the down-low. I also seriously doubt he gave it up completely. In my opinion, he probably had a few friends who still indulged who would occasionally visit him in his studio and they'd get high. Since it was illegal, given the way it exacerbates dishonesty, I could see Picasso pulling an indignant attitude decades later, saying he'd given it up but that would just be a lie. Nothing I said above should be construed as an endorsement for anyone to get intoxicated, including artists. It is not required for a talented artist to make great art. It can be entertaining, but there are also social, medical and legal costs.

Fascinating discussion, and mesmerizing presentation in the opinion of this new subber!

Your great❤❤ Wonderful video!

These videos are enjoyable

Interesting discussion. I would have liked more examples of paintings to illustrate the journey. For your information, the 18th Arrondissement only started to gather a North African community towards the early-to-mid 1970s, after the decolonization of Algeria. At the time Picasso lived in the Bateau Lavoir area - Montmartre - this was a small village or « commune » with a blue collar and semi-rural population. If my memory serves me well, Montmartre wasn’t even fully integrated in Paris but situated beyond the « fortifs » (the ramparts), i.e. Paris extra-muros. This area was the refuge of artists like Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine.

Great video

brilliant!

Picasso also had support from his community and his peers, which is an important sociogenic fulcrum on which success and motivation pivot, personally and generally. Not that there were no critics But having that network to orient helps maintain for things focus especially when drugs get involved. If everyone was telling him his art has to wait and to put the brush down while he goes to treatment and his peers group was intentionally indifferent to him and his work then maybe he'd have been less prolific. The cultural narrative is often of the lone creator that defies haters and breaks through unimpeded but that sociogenic piece seems important.

Loved this!

Fascinating. Thank you!

Very interesting , thankyou for this information .

Used to love opium and playing guitar. Would get lost in it for hours ..

Excellent story and well presented. I am not a huge art history guy, but I wish I was an artist just so I could paint you! Cheers

These are some of my favorite art history videos, they’re so easy to watch

total side point, but the quality of the shot here is absolutely exceptional. from the framing, to the choice of lighting, even the colour of the walls (which i'm VERY jealous of). really lovely.

This is very revealing. I never knew these things about Picasso. Yes as some have commented, the presenter is quite lovely. That hair is whipped! Thank you for sharing these revelations Stephanie.

Beautiful work Stephanie! I love the way you left it open ended. I also found it fascinating that apart from the few photos and paintings you used, it was mostly your clever story telling skills that kept me watching and listening intently. I am subscribing to your channel now. Thank you.

Excellent video

Truly enjoyed.

I heard that someone asked why he painted so much blue? He said because I had alot of blue! I've been like that, little money, alot of one color, not enough of others. So I made a forest blue out of necessity. I think he was on the ball. The crazy distortion was in response to photography eliminating landscape, portraiture...artists! Like today with a.i.

What a badass video. Thank you.

I like your theory and wanna believe it’s true. I can see how the warmth of opium could help someone change their color palette and subject matter.I’ve seen drugs and alcohol destroy my friends and family but people should be able have autonomy over their body and their choice to what they want to do with it. If you’re curious, ask yourself “do I want to be here for a good time or a long time?” Everything in moderation.

The war on drugs has swept under the rug how prolific and creative artists are with drugs in their life. Lifespan is not a consuming thought of an artist only the moment. Most of the human race is over bearing to artists. Drugs help block the pain that the common man inspires. The jealousy and envy common in the masses is too much for a creative person.

'The most sensible smell in the world' as Picasso described both the unique, bitter-aromatic scent of Opium and the divine equanimity it confers. As opium is simultaneously narcotic and stimulant in effects, it would have fuelled Picasso's painting during that period.

Discovered your channel tonight , very cool…I’ve examined altered consciousness and art from paleo/neolithic to Alex Grey. Fascinating stuff. The Surrealists and Picasso could visit salons in Paris in which steel and glass chambers were built….patrons could sit and imbibe drinks while the chamber was filled with nitrous, oxygen, helium, etc.,.regarding Picasso and his opium use ? I consider Pablo something of a thespian, and experiencing and enjoying the high from raw opium in a pipe, or paste in tea or coffee is completely in line with his character and philosophy. A supremely capable individual who likely got as much pleasure driving his cars, dining and drinking prodigious amounts of wine. taking in the bullfights, or bedding his wives and mistresses, as getting high on opiates. Not downplaying it at all. Every experience is part of our creative process. Drink. Drugs Sex aren’t a bug in the system, they are pretty much hard wired .

Excellent

excellent french name pronunciations and lovely video.

Love picasso ..glad to hear i wasnt the only artist that used different drugs to create ..never got into the downers.. but it seemed normal to me ...but its a temporary high.. thAt leads to addiction... Learned alot ,seen alot and done alot...its been a cool ride... Picasso to me was free...one thing i have to say is he learned from Mattiese"..you can see it in his work... Then he breaks away.. from the master and became himself...

Hang in there, it'll get better but dont expect too much. Suffering has a purpose.

The only catch Gertrude Stien made Picasso and everyone else in Paris.A Rose is a Rose is a Rose.

Who needs drugs when you have these eyes to stare at

Thank you

I read Errol Flynn’s ‘My Wicked, Wicked Ways’ and I remember him smoking pot with Picasso, eventually seeing the things in the paintings move. Flynn was embarrassed when Nuns from across the street came to visit him & Picasso at a brothel. Picasso reassured him by saying: “It’s OKAY, this is Cuba.”

Thanks!

great talk...liked and sub'd ! ....lookin frwrd to what comes next

Thankyou. In his own words. The ultimate art 4me is to paint with the eyes of a child. A concept he admitted he will never achieve. Torment true. ❤

I LOVED THIS VIDEO!

I don't know of any creative person in my lifetime who wasn't overly open to sex,drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Excess is as much a part of the creative process as is the constant personality high/lows that define them. Creatives walk the thin line between insanity and creativity their entire life. Not all sad as there is enormous love for nature, animals, children, music, and what makes things tick. Therefore a deep well of knowledge and continuous learning and excitement for the next lifetime.

I enjoyed this story with a new knowledge of Pablo’s drug use and mindset throughout his various “periods” . He was certainly a wild dude who didn’t score very high on characte,r integrity, or morals . Some art historians point out he was a world class copyist with little or no regard for who or what he took/appropriated from. Ah! The narcissism! Personally, I never saw anything of great value in any of his works, although it’s a fact he developed friendships with the bourgeois - maybe they all did dope together

interesting. Thanks.

I have zero doubt it had an influence on his or anyone's creativity who used it. One of the poppy's three derivatives has also heavily influenced lots of famous musicians song writing. Of course, psychedelics as well...

Man, sounds wonderful,

Opium tremendous stuff.

I FIND ALMOST THE ENTIRETY OF PICASSO’S ART GROTESQUE AND UNPLEASANT. I COULD GIVE A DAMN WHAT GERTRUDE STEIN THINKS.

Your face resembles Annie Clark''s. Great way to end 4/20, by turning me onto Picasso. Thank you. JfOH

You’re an underrated RU-vidr, you make well informed and comprehensive videos. Keep it up!!

Nice and interesting/welcome chronology and 'new' information. Sincerely. Strong presenter. Yet... what's the point/message? You are delivering this... why? Worthwhile... when informed by a purpose.

she is breathtaking thats for sure a work of art in her own right

...PP's first serious relationship wasn't "Ferdinand" Olivier, but "Fernande" etc...

Read several biographies. Is the diary the only source? Thanks,interesting.

También aplica preguntar cómo influyeron en sus decisiones estéticas las muertes que vivio

cool video

Nice necklace

Interesting

Merci

Great voice